Conflict is important to literature because it provides the basic materials for
the construction of the plot. Without conflict nothing would happen. Also, the
conflict within a piece may be central to the author's view of life or the point
he or she is trying to make.

Plot and action

Action is the chronological sequence of events in a literary work. That
action may take place externally or internally.

Plot is the way the author chooses to present the action.

Plot and action may be the same, but the author will often impose his or her interpretation
of what occurs and present it out of sequence. (Consider, for example, the use
of flashbacks, where we enter the story well after the events have occurred
and are shown what happened earlier).

Freitag's triangle

One way to understand the structure of a story is to follow the model of Freitag's
triangle. I will never ask you to map out a story using this, but an awareness
of it may help you to understand better just what is going on.

Exposition (A-B): the exposition introduces the central character and provides
background or dramatic context.

Introduction of the conflict (B), which leads to the complication
or rising action (B-C): this part of the story offers a series of events
that complicates the central character's situation. At some point, something forces
the character to make a decision or take a course of action. That point is known
as the deciding factor. It causes the action to reverse itself.

Climax (C): this is the actual moment when the deciding factor takes
place. What happens at this point determines the outcome of the piece.